Vereva/Aelves
General : See also: Aelves The Aelf (plural, Aelves) is a gentle, sentient race of Vereva. They originate in the isles of The Scar where they settled the oldest continuous nation of Avelamb circa year 32. The Aelves are known for their wisdom, culture and longevity, far outliving the other races. Their culture is lengthy and timeless, deeply entwined with their native Avelamb. Once the recognized religion the world over Majicium still lends much of the cultural staples (and stereotypes) attributed to each race. In the Thaumopaedia, it is written: : "To the Aelves of the Isles, She bestowed wisdom unencumb'red : The Aelves then aged slowly and to greater extents : And spread kind thought and philosophy to all who leant ear as Her mortal eyes." : (Thaumopaedia: Chapter 12, Verse 22-24) With an estimated global population of little more than 56 million, the Aelf is by far the least populous of the existing sentient races on Vereva. Aging Most races age in the same manner, called the Human aging factor, though Dwarves, Gnomes and Aelves age differently from them. Through the Aelven aging factor, Aelves outlive other races through lifespans that last more than ten times the length of Human Aging, with an aging rate that is ten times slower. By example, a Human who has lived twenty years of life is physically and mentally an adult, but an Aelf who has lived the same length compares better physically and mentally to a two-year old Human. Conversely, an Aelf having lived 500 years is physically and mentally comparable to a 50 year old human. The average life-span of an Aelf is equal for both sexes, lasting around 632 years, though the eldest Aelves have lived to be around 1100. Appearance The typical Aelf is slightly taller than the average Human but also a touch thinner. Theyre physical features are the most homogenous of any sentient race; lightweight with pale, unflushed skin made paler by golden-blonde hair and glowing blue eyes. The Aelves' ears are round and fragile like Human's during their childhood years but grow to be sturdy with pointed tips by the time they read adulthood at 150. Culture : See also: Culture of Avelamb Aelven culture deals intricately with nature, philosophy and time. Many Aelves are still highly religious, taking their laws strictly from the Thaumopaedia. Because they believe in Majicum's story of creation, they guard Bevesta's gift of longevity as their raison d'être. Aelves watch over the whole of Vereva, mostly in silence, and intervene only in times of great strife. Their longevity also gave them sensibilities toward nature. The average Aelf, watching over 632 years of Vereva and therefore more than 20 generations of the other races developed a proverb which states that only nature remains as timeless as the Aelf. Aelves found between watching the races and the flora and fauna, that the flora and fauna always acted routinely while the alternate races were unreliable and warrous for many different reasons. The Aelves' longevity also makes the race more community-oriented, sharing much more responsibility for each other than the other races. By example, all Aelven children are raised by Aelves: an orphaned Aelf is never raised by a person of a race different than his own. As an orphan, a child is taken to the nearest Aelven family around where the family raises him as their own son. If applicable, the child may also be sent off back to Avelamb. Home life and education The home life of the Aelf is much like that of the Dwarf. Traditionally, either parent (regardless of gender) acts as the breadwinner of the family, while the other acts as head of household. The head of household of the Aelves is responsible for a child's education in history. Because Aelves lead longer lives than other races, their education is exponentionally more in depth than them. An Aelf child often learns the history of the last twenty to thirty thousand years in excruciating detail. Attending school at the late age of 100 (comparatively, 10 years old), Aelves study up to thirty different subjects in depth before leaving for a trade school or a university. Traditionally, only Aelves were permitted to teach in educational facilities on Vereva but lately, other races have entered the educational system, most notably the Humans. Coming of age The Aelves are credited for starting the global coming of age tradition of the Grand Tour, a worldwide voyage ending in Itanstale begun as a religious rite of passage at the end of the Heaven's War. Stereotypes Many non-Aelves view Aelves alike Thaumaturges: self-involved, with a tendency to put their own moral values above others, however, the positive stereotpe of the Aelves' wisdom earned through centuries of life far outweighs their negative stereotype. Adult Aelves, seen as moral guides to the world with hundreds of years of experience beneath them, are respected as leaders throughout Vereva, though their reach is becoming less and less accepted in politics. See also * Aelatha language * Avelamb * Vereva Category:Vereva Category:Races of Vereva Category:Avelamb